Ability™ smart sensors have been used to
monitor motors, customers have seen a
drop in operational costs by up to 30 per
cent while commissioning costs of new
lines have been reduced by 50 per cent.
VIBRATING CONVEYOR BELTS
Vibrating Conveyors, as the name implies,
use rotary or linear vibration to convey
material along the medium. They are best
use for moving dry, bulk materials that are
durable, such as corn, gravel and coal,
One of the main benefits of a vibrating
column is its vertical potential. Unlike
traditional belts, vibrating conveyors can
lift materials up in relatively compact
space. This is because the medium is
molded into a screw shape allowing for
Coal and other mined materials come
materials to simply travel up the medium. in a variety of sizes and can fracture
Due to fewer parts being required and conveyors with containment tubes can
the fact that the medium can be made of
a sturdier material, in order to resist the
vibrations, vibrating conveyors require
less maintenance on average than their
counterparts. They also require less
motors than traditional conveyor belts,
but it also means that monitoring and
maintaining the motor in question is of
paramount importance.
into highly flammable dusts. Using air
keep the coal dust contained.
Compared to other systems air conveyors
have a definite speed advantage, however,
due to their use of suction or air pressure
differentials they are more delicate
systems and require higher levels of
maintenance. For example, in the case
of a system that uses tubing, these can
become clogged creating a blockage that
Another important factor for vibrating will back log the entire system, whereas
conveyors is their bearings. Due to the those that use air pressure differential to
intensity of the vibrations the state of transport goods are vulnerable as if one
While they may have been around since bearings can deteriorate faster than motor fails then the objects may not have
1892, previous to the advent of industry normal. For this reason ABB not only enough speed to reach the next motor
4.0 traditional conveyor belts had their provides bearings specifically made for causing the system to fail.
weaknesses. For example, belts often vibration applications, but they are also have to be replaced due to fraying. This custom made to be monitored by ABB Overall, each one of these conveyor
can be disastrous for food and beverage Ability™ smart sensors. systems has its individual strengths
that can bolster opportunities in their
manufacturers as elements of the belt can
contaminate the product, resulting in a AIR CONVEYOR BELTS specific use cases. The decision on which
product recall and considerable downtime Air or pneumatic conveyor systems are style of conveyor will come down to the
if the problem has not been identified great for moving easily damaged items material that needs to be moved, the
sooner. With more and more plants now like aluminum cans or empty plastic space available, the properties of the
working 24/7, unless proper care is taken bottles at speeds far greater than material and the speed requirement of
then there is a chance of motor failure too, traditional conveyors. There is a reason the production system. A lot of time has
which can result in product build up and that this method of conveyor is used in passed since the industrial revolution
further downtime. a wide range of soft drink production meaning many new forms of conveying
systems, most famously Coca-Cola. have come into play — the variety is out
there, all that is left is to decide which one
Because few parts are needed, it has
been easy to boost the performance of This does not mean, however, that the
conveyor belts by using IIoT devices such system cannot move more traditional
as smart sensors. For example, when ABB materials that have irregular shapes.
is for you.
www.abb.com
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